CPU temperature and core temperature

[roofsniper]

so for awhile now in speedfan and all other programs it will list the cpu temperature and the core temperature. but they are always different. after searching forever i have determined that the cpu temperature is the Tcase and the core is the Tjunction. but the Tcase shouldn't be higher than the Tjunction. i have searched around everywhere and many people have this same problem but i don't know what to do. is there a way i can calibrate it? and what should i trust more? im guessing to trust the core temperature more because it seems a lot more accurate and the CPU reading always seems odd and is always higher. but i always go by the CPU temp because it is the higher value and i don't want to overheat things. in this picture i have an ambient of 26C and i have the cpu running on cool and quiet to get the lowest temperature. all my fans are running at full speed. i have a phenom 9600 and a zalman 9500 am2 as a cpu cooler.

[pershoot]

this is what i do (since we will never know what the actual die temp is).

take a reading of your socket temp (sensor underneath cpu in socket), then take a reading of the sensor inside the cpu. if you have an external probe attached to your waterblock/heatsink, take a reading off that too. do this at both idle/load.

consider this sceanrio:
for Phenom II/I Max Tcase is 62c. check to see how far away socket is away from sensor inside cpu reading is. for me it is ~5-6c at load. waterblock temp is ~10c away from socket. in this scenario, if you can keep reading inside cpu at around ~60/61 and socket temp to around ~55/56c @ load max, i think you'll be in ok shape. this keeps the cpu within margin, according to AMD specs. this also relies on the sensor on the mobo being correct and the sensor inside the cpu to be correct. we hope that it is.

hope that helps.

[roofsniper]

thanks for the post. i have a kaze master fan controller and i got one reading the room ambient and one reading the case ambient. i will put one under the socket somday and where should i put the one on the heatsink? after i get these reading im not exactly sure what to do to get an accurate reading. atm im not entirely concerned with overheating but its nice to have an idea of what my cpu temp is. especially since i think i will overclock my phenom II once i put it in.

[pershoot]

you wouldnt put one underneath the cpu in the socket. there is already a sensor there. this is the reading you get from bios and the supplied temp monitoring application your board came with.

since it is not practical to put an external probe on the bottom of the heatsink, if you put it on the side, it should give an ok reading, and give you a certain view.

[roofsniper]

i thought the reading in the bios was the reading of the Tcase which was the IHS on the cpu.

[Oldguy932]

Bios reading is the socket temp, thats what temp1 is in speedfan. Core is the actual temperature of the chip, I know this because it doesn't go below 0 and the temp sensor on the chip isn't calibrated to read below 0 either.

[roofsniper]

yea i know core is the core temperature and that looks fine but its the cpu one thats throwing me off. i have heard some say its the socket and some say its the Tcase temp. really it doesn't even matter to me im just curious as to why its higher than the core temperature which should be the highest temperature of them all. i have seen tons of people with this problem but im wondering if i should just ignore it and only use the core temp for reference.

[demonkevy666]

somethings is going on with mine last week 36C idle now it's 38-9C idle I might need thermal grease or the grease dried up somehow. I have temperature probes on the heat sink. The board shows it at about 33C idle in bios. the heat sink is probes show 28c and 29C so not much of vary in those.